For those of you who have been to our taproom lately, you may have noticed some construction going on in front of the deli windows. Well, as it turns out, we are expanding our existing deli with an external ordering “counter” to accommodate an improved service style and, in order to finish the project up, we will be closing for several days next week. Here is the closing schedule:

We’re gearing up for a few great pairing events this fall, where we invite you to explore how various styles of food pair alongside beers from our lineup. Hosted here at the brewery, these events are an opportunity for our kitchen staff, as well as visiting chefs from the community, to design dishes that encourage you to expand your palate and discover how food and beer can come together to create a beautiful harmony.

September 22: Palate Exploration Series featuring chef Jenna Arcidiano of Amore Trattoria.Chef Jenna, known in the Grand Rapids area for her exquisite authentic Italian cooking, will be preparing dishes that represent the five cardinals flavors: sour, sweet, salty, bitter and umami. We’ll discuss each of these unique flavors and pair various beers with them to explore how they play off one another. 6-8pm. $30/person. Tickets available here.

October 13: Palate Exploration Series featuring The Apple Haus at Robinette’s Orchard. The team from Robinette’s will be joining us again this year to help showcase their fall favorites, including gourmet donuts and fudge. We’ll be pouring a few of our beers and exploring how the flavors of the food and beer pair alongside each other. 6-8pm. $30/person. Tickets available here.

November 3: Palate Exploration Series featuring Mokaya Artisan Chocolates and Confections. Mokaya has been blowing our minds with their amazing chocolate for a while now and we’re excited to finally bring them in for an evening of chocolate and beer pairings. The best part? They’re bringing along their beer infused chocolates. 6-8pm. $30/person. Tickets available here.

In 2010, we partnered with Grand Rapids WhiteWater, a group interested in revitalizing the rapids in the Grand River here in our hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. In support of GRWW, we’re now hosting Tribute on the Grand, a free, all-ages outdoor celebration featuring a beer tent, food trucks and live music in downtown’s Ah-Nab-Awen Park on September 10. Proceeds from this event will go towards GRWW’s mission. But what does that entail?

GRWW’s Matt Chapman shares a bit about the vision of their project and how you can help:

Two guys walk into a bar…

It sounds like the start of another cheesy joke but when my Grand Rapids WhiteWater (GRWW) team sat down with the folks at Founders Brewing Co. back in 2010, it was the beginning of an awesome partnership that would change the course of the Grand River. Literally!

Here’s a super easy way to cook some fall-off-the-bone spare ribs without any crazy cooking equipment..and with the addition of some delicious All Day IPA. Some people say it’s blasphemy to cook ribs in the oven. Y’know what we say? No one has to know!

Well, it was a long time coming with this one but well worth the wait: we are happy to announce our distribution in West Virginia!

With the help of Northern Eagle, Proud Eagle and Mountain Eagle distributors, our year-round, seasonal and specialty beers will be available across the state in bottles, cans (as applicable) and kegs. Select limited releases will be available as well.

Yup, it’s true. We’ve got a new one comin’ at you this fall: PC Pils. Look for this profoundly crushable, pleasantly crisp Pilsner in 6-pack bottles, 15-pack cans and on draft this October (shipping in September)!

As big fans of this easy-drinking style, we knew we wanted to stay true to its characteristics while giving it our undeniable Founders twist. For us, that comes in the form of flavor-packed American hops. While Noble hops have been the preferred choice of Pilsner brewers around the world, we went with some of our favorite American varieties. Piney Chinook, pleasantly citrus Cascade and punchy Centennial make this an easy-drinker with floral hop characteristics. PC Pils clocks in at 5.5% ABV and 45 IBUs.

Join us at Celebration! Cinemas this fall for the Founders Film Series, where we pair our favorite movies alongside beers form our lineup. Movies are chosen for different reasons: sometimes the titles pair nicely or there’s a unique character reference. Often, it’s simply because we love the beer and the movie and want the pleasure of enjoying ’em at the same time. We hope you do too!

When we set out to create All Day IPA, we wanted a beer that would make the perfect companion to our adventures, anything from conquering a long hike to relaxing around a campfire. We didn’t want to compromise on flavor, yet we knew we wanted to be able to crack into more than one during a “session,” whatever that may be. Alas, All Day IPA was born. It’s full flavor that won’t quit so you don’t have to either.

From August 1 to September 1, 2016, you can unlock our “Session Boldly” Untappd badge when you check-in All Day IPA in cans, bottles or on draft. You can find it on draft or in 6-pack bottles and 15-pack cans using our beer finder (and mobile app).

Fresh from the farmer’s market or your very own garden, ’tis the season for fresh cucumbers. And if you’re like us, this means your craving for crisp, refreshing pickles is at an all-time high. To quickly satisfy that craving, our head chef, Justin, put together a quick pickle recipe, also known to some as “refrigerator pickles.” The twist? A delicious All Day IPA brine, of course!

You can follow all of the same steps for traditional canned pickles until it comes time for the actual canning and storage – then you’ll need to properly sterilize your jars. But, we digress. This here is all about instant pickled gratification, friends. Let’s do this.